Jurgen Klinsmann Should Be Fired If USA Lose to Mexico, Says Landon Donovan

Former United States international Landon Donovan believes that manager Jurgen Klinsmann should be fired if the national team lose to Mexico in their Confederations Cup play-off on Saturday.   

The German coach has been in charge of a largely successful USMNT since 2011 but oversaw a disappointing summer in which he failed to see his team past the semi-finals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Most recently, the U.S. lost 4-1 to Brazil, and Donovan has indicated that Klinsmann should pay with his job if Mexico win the right to become CONCACAF's representative for the 2017 Confederations Cup in Russia, per ESPN FC:

"

Around the world, if a player plays poorly and a player has a bad string of results, they get dropped from the team. Jurgen said many times he wants our players to feel pressure -- so if they lose a game they can't go to the grocery store the next day. If they lose a game, they are getting hammered in the press. 

Well, the same holds true for the coach, and so we had a very poor summer with bad results in the Gold Cup. The last game against Brazil was probably the worst game I've seen them play under Jurgen. The reality is that now, anywhere else in the world, if this coach had those results, and they lose this game against Mexico, they'd be fired.

"

Donovan added that Klinsmann should hold himself up to the same standards as he does his players, per ESPN FC.

Kilnsmann and Donovan have something of a chequered history, with the forward having been left out of the U.S. squad for the 2014 World Cup three months before he announced his retirement from football.

NBC Sports' Andy Edwards, though, believes the USMNT's record goalscorer has a point:

Certainly, the U.S. team disappointed at the Gold Cup—they finished fourth after they lost on penalties to Panama in the third-place play-off—as they were expected to at least reach the final.

However, Klinsmann arguably deserves more time even if his side do lose to Mexico in California, as he has overseen some remarkable results since a strong showing at the 2014 World Cup, including victories over the Netherlands and Germany in recent friendlies. 

Klinsmann has called up a solid squad to take on Mexico in Saturday's vital encounter, per U.S. Soccer:

Mexico will undoubtedly be tough opponents, and they are on a high after their Gold Cup triumph in the summer and a 2-2 draw against the world's top-ranked team, Argentina, last time out.

But resilience has defined the USMNT under the 51-year-old Klinsmann, and their unity should serve them well against El Tri. 

Should they lose, though, questions will undoubtedly be asked about Klinsmann's long-term future as coach of the U.S. team.